Can we have LUKE GALE back please?

Eh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He looked slimmer than I remember against Fev and scored a couple of tries that nearly turned the game in Leigh's favour.

I must admit, he was a real surprise signing in the off season. What puzzles me though is that with his experience, you know what you're going to get. There will be positives and negatives, which at his stage, can't necessarily be ironed out as with a youngster. So, logically, if you sign him, you've already thought of a role for him and his style of play. Then not to play him seems peculiar. Identified a player, spotted a role, signed him, paid wages, then just put him in the reserves and then on loan. A younger man maybe as an investment for the future, but not a guy of his experience.

I'm trying to think of a parallel. Say, you borrow a laptop, think, wow, this is better than mine, use it for awhile so you know all its ins an out, then off down to PCworld to purchase it. At which point you just take it home and stick it on the side and never open it up, before lending it out to someone. its probably never going to get better, will only depreciate in value and use up valuable cash.

I can't really get my head around it.

Also let Featherstone in for 1 try after slipping over and attempted to pass the ball to the touch judge instead of his winger. 2nd try was a decent effort I suppose.

He kicks goals and adds a bit of experience and depth to our squad. I've often wondered if Mac considered trying him as an impact forward. I doubt he's on big money and realistically we'd need an injury crisis (not unheard of) to see him make the first team. He's not as bad a signing as some make out given that there isn't exactly a surplus of quality backs in SL these days.

Interestingly, Nanyn was on the pitch for about 70 minutes tonight but wasn't used as an impact forward once. In fact, he barely touched the ball in his own half and was only used for crashes near the line.

I didn't see the game, but its likely to be down to the role he's asked to play, at NL1 level (or whatever daft name it now has) he's a proven pointscorer in the centres, at SL his mobility is going to be a problem. Using him as a crash ball forward at SL level isn't that wild an idea, he's not a bad player, it's just at SL level his size and strength won't overcome his limited technique like they do in NLs.

I do still think he could make a useful utility player, his decision to come to London suggests he was willing to try and step up from being a big fish in a small pond.

For most of the game he was a passenger though. People could go on about his second try and his "destructive" run, but he was only faced with Jamie Field and 2 flyweight backs.

I think its maybe time to accept he is a poor fish like a pollack rather than a blue fin tuna.

I think you're missing the point, if he was a superstar signing then we'd have good cause to bag him, but he's not, he's a squad player who our coach thinks might offer us an option at some point. We'd need to have 2 possibly 3 centre options (Howell, Gafa, Clubb and Purdham can all play centre) injured before he'd make it in to the first team as a centre.

There is a lack of quality British centres around, which is why were not going to get one as a squad player.

I'm not missing the point, even as a squad player he's not even close to being good enough to step into a side currently sitting in the playoff positions in Super League. I'm sure there is somebody in the academy who can offer more than he can and I don't understand why we are wasting more than nothing on his contract. He was cack against Fev so imagine what would happen if we were forced to play him in a big match in SL?

you what son?

ANOTHER pollack apologist?

[url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/04/06/sainsbury-s-rename-pollack-colin-in-bid-to-sell-more-fish-115875-21256852/It's Colin...[/url

Agreed. He spends nearly all his game time walking. Occasionally he will make it to a canter if the ball is given to him near the opposition line. If he ever gets a game in SL, coaches will just aim their better runners at him who will stand him up in defence on a regular basis.

Nanyn has made no progress at QRL - he is the same player he's always been. He has his strengths but he won't/can't address his lack of energy and so is a waste of any salary cap £££.

Shane Perry?

He's a squad player....nothing more. I reckon Brian Mc saw the issues we had last season with injuries etc and thought he'd be a good back up player should we be short on numbers at any stage this season. Nanyn has only been loaned out, he'll return in a few weeks (or however long the loan deal is) and will be ready to cover should the need arise.

I agree, at this stage of his career he's hardly going to improve a great deal, but as I said...a good squad player that to be honest wouldn't get in the team should other options be available. Atleast by being loaned out he's getting some match practise and shedding some of that rust!!!

He's not a good squad player though. What signs has he shown that would indicate he is a decent squad player? His embarassing, ineffective performance against Featherstone supports this.

He has been given a chance this year to lose a few pounds and speed up his game. Whils he looks a little slimmer than he did during the RLWC, he hasn't done enough to make the first team and it is doubtful that he will. I disagree about being ineffective last night. Made 1, scored 2 is a pretty fair example of being effective IMO, but I see where you are coming from.

A squad player should be able to step up when called upon.

Unfortunately Mick lacks intensity in the way he plays the game. If you look at Fevs last try, if Mick had tracked the play from the PTB he could have tackled the player scoring the try. He is very pedestrian in the manner in which he plays the game.

He has put his hand up and been given the chance(It was Mick who asked Mac for the chance ). Sadly he isnt SL standard.

Thanks and good luck with leigh

Spot on w-q. He's obviously shed a few lbs. since he joined us but he's still just as cumbersome at turning in defence.

Maybe he'd make a decent prop? Can't see any other prospect.

He's obviously got a bit of talent but always seems to be lethargic in the way he plays. Nothing is done a speed. He runs slowly, he doesn't get up of the floor with any conviction or intensity, he doesn't [ihit [/iin the tackle or even contact going forward.

Those sorts of attributes can be coached into players with increased fitness and pressure training sessions- but they dont seem to have been taken on board.

If you watch Clubbs last ditch tackle on R Paul in Scotland Clubby had no right to be where he was. What he had done was track the play from the previous play the ball behind the defensive line and made himself a last line of defence resulting in a try saving tackle. All the work was done off the ball. You would never see that with Mick. As I say with a bit more effort at the PTB on Thur he could have saved Leigh on the last try.

That the difference between good players and average players

Im inclined to agree, unless he's prepared to bust a gut for 2 years getting his fitness and strength up to SL level i dont see the point in him being with us.

Matt Gafa joined us as a utility back/second row who could act as a back-up goal kicker. I thought he looked painfully mediocre at times in his first season, but he's improved beyond all recognition since and he was older than Mick Nanyn when he joined us. Perhaps there's reason to believe Nanyn can achieve the same?